High hat cymbals are common equipment for bands, particularly for rock bands. The high hat cymbals are one part of a number of different percussion instruments that an accomplished drummer must play during the course of a live performance. The high hat cymbals comprise a stationary upwardly facing cymbal, a movable downwardly facing cymbal, a stand, and a central shaft extending through the stand operable to move the movable cymbal into and out of contact with the stationary cymbal. Typically a spring or like biasing means biases the top cymbal out of contact with the bottom cymbal. The drummer operates the cymbals utilizing a foot pedal.
There are many musical scores for which it is desirable for the drummer to impact the cymbals while they are in a position in which they are held together. This is most typically accomplished by the drummer holding the foot pedal in a depressed condition to continuously hold the cymbals together. However if the drummer must also operate a number of other instruments with his or her foot, it is impractical to dedicate one foot to holding down the foot pedal of the high hat. For that reason, it has been proposed to utilize various mechanical locking components to lock the cymbals together, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,730,532 and 4,667,562.
The proposals for manual locking mechanisms are little more practical than the drummer holding the foot pedal depressed with his/her foot, however, since to move the cymbals into the locked position requires another distinct operation by the drummer --an operation that the drummer may not be able to effectively perform since he/she is playing a musical score at the time. Therefore, there is a need for an automatic high hat cymbal locking mechanism.
According to the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided for effectively automatically locking the cymbals of a high hat together. Despite the fact that the cymbals are automatically locked together, when the drummer wishes to use the cymbals in their normal intended operation, that is moving back and forth toward each other by the operation of the foot pedal, the automatic locking mechanism does not interfere with that operation.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, optical means are utilized to provide the automatic sensing that is necessary to effect locking. One would not expect optical means to be effective for use with a high hat because of the environment in which it must successfully operate. A rock concert or like performance may be in a darkened area, light area, or with all sorts of strobe, spot, incandescent, or other light sources variously operating or not operating during the performance. However according to the present invention it has been found that despite the fact one would not normally expect an optical device to be utilizable for automatically operating the high hat, it is extremely effective in the combination and according to the method of the present invention.
One reason why the optical means can be utilized successfully according to the present invention is that it is preferred that the optical source be a source of infrared light. The infrared light is sensed by a reflective receptor, such as a photodiode. It is also desirable that the source of infrared light be pulsed, and have a modulated frequency output.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high hat cymbal locking assembly for selectively locking together first and second cymbals of the high hat by moving a central operating shaft connected to one of the cymbals, comprising: A foot pedal for actuating the central shaft to effect movement thereof. Means defining an opening in the foot pedal. A light source and a light sensing means for sensing light from the light source. Means for mounting the light source and the light sensing means in operative association with the foot pedal so that if a drummer's foot is on or above the foot pedal, covering the opening therein, the sensing means will distinguish between that condition and the situation where the opening is uncovered. Operating means for actuating the operating shaft independently of the foot pedal to move the cymbals together; and, circuitry means operatively connecting the light sensing means to the operating means so that when the light sensing means senses the bottom of a shoe. The cymbals spring apart and are ready for operation by the drummer using the conventional foot pedal; and if the shoe is not sensed, the cymbals are held together.
Typically the light source is an infrared LED while the light sensing means comprises a photodiode, the LED being pulsed and frequency modulated by circuitry means and the photodiode output filtered and amplified. The operating means typically comprises a solenoid.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided means for sensing the position of a drummer's foot on or above the foot pedal; and, means for actuating the operating shaft in response to the sensing means, for automatically moving the movable cymbal to the second position thereof when a drummer's foot is not sensed on the foot pedal, and for not interfering with operation of the operating shaft when a drummer's foot is sensed on the pedal. The sensing means preferably comprises a light source and means for sensing light from the light source, such as the infrared LED and photodiode as described above.
According to the present invention there also is provided (a) Sensing the absence or presence of a drummer's foot on or above the foot pedal. (b) If the drummer's foot is sensed on or above the foot pedal, allowing normal operation of the high hat by the drummer. And, (c) if the drummer's foot is not sensed on or above the foot pedal, automatically actuating the high hat so that the movable cymbal is held in contact with the stationary cymbal. Step (a) is preferably practiced using pulsed, modulated frequency, infrared light. The foot pedal operates the high hat by moving a shaft, and step (c) is preferably practiced by moving that same shaft independent from the foot pedal.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the effective automatic operation of a high hat to hold the cymbals together when the drummer is not operating the foot pedal of the high hat, but to allow unencumbered operation of the foot pedal when the drummer desires. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.